What is otoplasty?
Otoplasty — also called pinnaplasty or prominent ear correction — is surgery that repositions ears that stand away from the head, and reshapes the cartilage folds that give the ear its form.
Prominent ears usually come from one of two things, often together: a fold at the top of the ear (the antihelical fold) that never formed properly, and a deep bowl (the concha) that pushes the whole ear outwards. The operation addresses whichever is responsible.
It is not a hearing operation. Nothing is done to the ear canal, the eardrum or the middle ear.
Who is a candidate?
- Children, usually from around five or six years of age, once the ear is close to adult size. Many families wait until the child asks for it.
- Adults who have lived with prominent ears and decide to address them — a large share of patients.
- People with asymmetry between the two ears.
- People whose ear shape has changed after injury, where reconstruction rather than simple setback may be needed.
General health, healing capacity and — for adults — smoking status are all assessed, as with any operation.
What causes prominent ears?
| Anatomical cause | What it looks like | What surgery does |
|---|---|---|
| Underdeveloped antihelical fold | The upper ear tilts outwards, the natural fold is shallow or absent | The fold is recreated with sutures, scoring or both |
| Deep concha | The whole ear sits away from the head | The bowl is reduced or set back |
| Prominent earlobe | The lower ear stands out even after the upper ear is corrected | The lobe is repositioned separately |
| Combination | Most cases | Each component addressed in turn |
How is the operation performed?
- Anaesthesia. Local in most adults; general anaesthesia in children.
- Incision. A curved incision in the crease behind the ear exposes the cartilage.
- Reshaping. Where the antihelical fold is missing, it is recreated — with permanent sutures, by scoring the front surface of the cartilage so that it curls, or with a combination of the two.
- Setback. Where a deep concha is the problem, cartilage is reduced or the bowl is sutured back towards the head.
- Earlobe. Repositioned if it remains prominent.
- Closure and dressing. The skin is closed with fine sutures and a supportive head dressing is applied for a few days.
There is more than one technique family here — suture-based methods, cartilage-scoring methods, and cartilage-sparing approaches. A meta-analysis of cartilage-sparing otoplasty examined the complication profile of that group specifically. The technique is chosen for the cartilage in front of the surgeon: stiff cartilage does not behave like soft cartilage, and a method that works well in a child may not suit an adult.
What does recovery look like?
| Period | What is usual |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Head dressing in place; discomfort, throbbing and swelling |
| Day 3–7 | Dressing removed and replaced by a headband; sutures may be removed |
| Week 1 | Most children return to school, most adults to office work |
| Weeks 2–6 | Headband worn at night; ears still tender to pressure |
| Weeks 6–8 | Contact sport and swimming usually resumed after review |
| Months 3–6 | Swelling settled, scar softening |
The headband matters. It is not decorative — it protects sutures and cartilage that are still holding a new position while healing.
What are the risks?
Systematic reviews of prominent ear correction have catalogued the recognised complications, which include:
- Bleeding or haematoma behind the ear, requiring prompt treatment.
- Infection, uncommon but serious when it involves cartilage.
- Partial relapse — the ear drifting back towards its original position.
- Asymmetry between the two ears.
- Suture problems — a stitch working its way to the surface, or becoming palpable.
- Over-correction, producing an ear that looks too flat or "pinned".
- Ridging or sharp contours where cartilage has been scored.
- Scarring behind the ear, including thickened or keloid scars in susceptible people.
- Numbness of the ear, usually temporary.
This list is not exhaustive. The risks that apply to you or your child are discussed at consultation and again during informed consent. Results vary and no specific outcome is guaranteed.
What affects the price?
The complexity of the correction, whether one ear or both are being operated on, the type of anaesthesia, and the operating time. No prices are published on this site and no figure can be quoted before examination. See the Medical Disclaimer.
What is the process for patients travelling to Izmir?
Otoplasty has a shorter recovery than nasal surgery, but the first dressing change happens within a few days and is worth having done in person. A stay of about five days covers consultation, surgery and the first review; the exact timetable is confirmed after examination.
For children, a parent or legal guardian is present throughout, and the consent conversation takes place with them. Consultations are held in Turkish, English, Bulgarian and Russian.